If the Phillies buy, several relievers stand out as possible targets

As the trade deadline approaches, the Phillies find themselves in need of one of the hardest positions to shop for. Relief pitchers are a dime a dozen, but solid, dependable relievers are hard to come by, and almost every team in the race is looking to improve the bullpen.

The addition of the second wild card makes it tough too, as there are quite a few teams that find themselves in a position where they are unlikely to sell assets. Teams like the Blue Jays and Angels put a lot into their payrolls this offseason and would be unlikely to start selling while they hover around .500. The Royals and Giants, who both have some good pieces in the bullpen, also fall into a similar category should they remain where they are in the standings.

If the Phillies want to add a proven bullpen piece, they do not have too many teams who would be realistic trade partners. The Twins, Brewers, Marlins, White Sox, Mariners and Astros—all teams out of the race—are ones that could be viable trade partners with the Phillies. As these teams look to the future, they would surely require minor league talent for a reliever. The higher quality the reliever, the more the Phillies would have to sacrifice on the farm.

The other option would be for the Phillies to part with position players at the major league roster that might help another team, in exchange for a reliever. Selling to fill a need. Carlos Ruiz has been getting looks from the Yankees, and Michael Young from the Red Sox. Young has been solid for the Phillies, but they could probably live with Kevin Frandsen at third with Freddy Galvis as a backup, and Erik Kratz is a sufficient replacement for Ruiz if he continues to lack production.

All that being said, here are some quick numbers and info on relievers that could work for the Phillies. There are relievers from teams likely to sell as well as a few from teams that might sacrifice a bullpen piece to fill another need.

From the Minnesota Twins:

Casey Fien: Fien is a 29-year-old righty who works in the low to mid 90s. He does not allow batters to reach base often. This year he has a .80 WHIP, among the best of all relievers, and he will strike out more than a batter an inning (42 K in 38.2 IP). He gets you under two walks per nine and averages almost ten strikeouts per nine. Opponents are hitting just .179 off him this season.

From the San Diego Padres:

Luke Gregerson: Gregerson is an absolute workhorse. Last year he appeared in 77 games and threw 71 innings, and back in 2010, he pitched 80 innings and struck out 89 batters. In his five years in the league he holds a career 1.01 WHIP and all five years has had an ERA under 3.25. He has been one of the leagues most dependable relievers so he might cost a bit more, but you know what you are going to get.

Dale Thayer: The 28 year old right-hander has 44 strikeouts in 43 innings and holds a 2.93 ERA. In 110 2/3 innings the last two years, he has allowed only 86 hits and 25 walks, which is a WHIP of 1.00. His average against sits at .212.

Joe Thatcher– The lefty specialist averages about a strikeout per inning pitched (26 strikeouts in 26 2/3 innings) and has a 1.05 WHIP this year. He might be less useful due to Antonio Bastardo’s recent success as well as Jake Diekman’s success against lefties, but if Bastardo continues his success as a seventh or eighth inning guy, he and Diekman could be the lefty specialists.

From the Miami Marlins:

Ryan Webb– Webb is an imposing 6-foot-6, 245-pound right-hander who is having a rebound year with Miami. He has a 3.14 ERA in 43 innings, but his lack of strikeouts (26) compared with his 1.419 WHIP could cause some concern. Nonetheless, he could be worth a shot if he comes cheap.

Steve Cishek– Cishek is an interesting case, because he has been a good closer on a team that doesn’t need one. He has a funky, side arm delivery from the right side, and averages a strikeout per inning this year (42 in 42 2/3 innings). He will walk a few guys on occasion—last season he was over four walks per nine, but he has lowered that this year to less than three. He could be huge against righties of the division like Jayson Werth, David Wright, Ryan Zimmerman, Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Upton and Dan Uggla.

From the Chicago Cubs:

Kevin Gregg: Gregg is a veteran guy who is an imposing figure on the hill. He did not do so well in Baltimore the past two years, with less than a strikeout per inning and a WHIP over 1.6, but is having a rebound year for Chicago. He has 35 strikeouts, a 2.97 RRA and 1.17 WHIP so far in 33 1/3 innings and has held opposing hitters to a .213 clip.

From the Seattle Mariners:

Charlie Furbush– The lefty has tossed 38 1/3 innings and has an astounding 54 strikeouts this year. He also does not give up hits—opposing batters are hitting .191 off the southpaw This year he is averaging around six hits per nine (27 total) and last year nine average per nine innings was under six.

Tom Wilhelmsen– the 6-foot-6, 29-year-old righty has had a great year for the Mariners. He will walk some guys (21 in 41 innings this year) but doesn’t give up much else. He allows just 5.7 hits per nine innings on average, which has allowed him to keep a career WHIP around 1.1 despite sometimes struggling with command. He also averages nearly a strikeout per inning and has held opponents to a batting average of .183 in 2013.

Oliver Perez– Perez’s career turned around since joining Seattle last year. He has allowed only 14 runs in 65 2/3 innings dating back to last year, and this year has 50 strikeouts in 36 innings to go along with a 1.74 ERA and .208 average against. His walks per nine has been under four the last two years after being above eight back in 2010.

From the Chicago White Sox:

Jesse Crain– His ERA is .74. He has not given up a homer in 36.2 innings but has struck out 46 (11.3 K/9) and he is an All-Star on a bad, bad team. Enough said.

Matt Lindstrom– He has been with four teams in three years and has pitched well for all of them. He holds a 2.87 ERA and has only allowed two homers since the start of 2012 (none this year). He only has 28 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings and he walks just over four per nine on average, but he has not allowed many to cross the plate.

From the New York Mets:

Bobby Parnell– the hard throwing righty is having yet another great year for the Phillies’ N.L. East rivals. His 2.30 ERA is the lowest of his career, as is his .907 WHIP. He has not allowed a home run this year and has allowed only 10 walks in 43 innings.

From the Boston Red Sox:

Junichi Tazawa– This one would probably involve sending Michael Young to Boston. The 27-year old righty has been one of the Red Sox most dependable relievers this season, and it may be unlikely they part ways with him but it depends how badly they want Young. Tazawa this year averages just over a walk and 10 strikeouts per nine innings.

From the New York Yankees:

Boone Logan: A guy like Logan is a good guy to have around. He led the league in appearances in 2012 with 80 and has strung together several solid years in a row. He has 35 strikeouts in 25 innings this year and his walks per nine are under two. He is a possible return for an aging Carlos Ruiz, should the Yankees be interested.

*If the Yankees are still in the race, David Robertson is probably untouchable, so I did not bother listing him.

Those are some of the bigger names that stuck out to me from non-contenders and from teams who have been asking about Phillies players. Here are several more bullpen pieces that could be great fits for the Phillies if the proper deal arose.

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59 Comments

That’s the problem. What exactly does that mean?? So many of these guys have some kind of success one year with a team and then end up being terrible with another team.. Chad Qualls, Chad Durbin, Josh Lindbloom are all recent examples as far as the Phillies are concerned.

There is no such thing as a proven bullpen piece. No pitcher ( I know this personally) grows up with aspirations of pitching in the bullpen. If they are bullpen pitchers, they have already failed as starters. That’s why there is no such thing, or only one every 5-10 years or so.

I was telling someone last week that we should go after whoever had a terrible season last year, and would probably have better odds of finding someone good.

I remember earlier in the season, the Sox wanted to part with Aceves. He had some clubhouse drama that wasn’t sitting well with Farrell and the team. The problem is that with the injury to Clay Buchholz, the starting rotation has been a bit in flux, and Aceves has been able to be a spot filler when they need him.

I still say keep Ruiz. I would be open to a M. Young deal. I think Frandsden can handle 3rd with no noticeable drop in offense/defense. Bring up Asche and leave Galvis down in AAA until September call ups.

These guys may or may not be candidates. A lot should be dependent on contract status, age, and whether they’d actually be available. (The Marlins have indicated repeatedly that they’re holdin on to Cishek, and people under 30 may also be held on to if they’re really all that good.

Some of those named here have ages listed, but very few. There is no listing of contract status or salary for any of them. If a guy makes big bucks or will soon be a free agent, he probably isn’t a pitcher the Phils would or should pursue, and should be taken off the list.

Some of these guys, the young ones like Furbush or Cishek, and maybe a couple of others with low salaries, may not be available even if their teams are selling. A rebuilding effort doesn’t usually involve young players with budget contracts who have been reasonably succesful. A rebuilding effort is generally to replace the aged and crotchety or to dump the expensive contracts. 27 years old and +/-500 K doesn’t sound to me like a guy who’d be dumped for prospects.

Phillies management is simply postponing the inevitable by thinking that this team has the talent to seriously compete for the post season. Management needs to bite the bullet and clear the cupboards of players who are past their primes , or those who can bring some solid talented youth to this organization., like Papelbom and Lee.

Smell the roses, and not the manure. Start building while these players can bring something in return. They need to open their eyes.

I would have no problem dealing Ruiz and Young for prospects or good relievers. I think Frandsen and Asche could hold down 3rd and Kratz could replace Ruiz and a free agent option would be Miguel Olivo. He could be paired with Kratz as a good tandem at catcher.

I have a couple favorites to target for reliever…..

Dale Thayer- he is a reliable righthander with that crazy side arm action that could be useful

Matt Lindstrom- One of the most underrated relievers in the league, and he is signed cheaply for next season as well

Burke Badenhop- Another underrated reliever that should come cheap and could fill the void of pitching in the 6th or 7th if needed, other than two bad outings before the break he has been good this season and with the Brewers record he should be available

The NL East is underachieving for sure. To say they are poor in talent, I’m not so sure about that. I think both the Nats and the Braves should be faring a lot better and likely they will.
I think the issue will be if the Phils can keep up – and I don’t believe they have the talent or heart to do so at this time.

They may not have the talent to keep up (I don’t get the “heart” bit), but here are some positives for the Phillies:

– won 9 of their last 13 before the break
– 2nd best batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS in the NL in the 2+ months since May 6th, behind only St. Louis in all three categories
– best record in the East since April 19th (42-38), 1 better than Atlanta, and 3 better than Washington
– 87-75 in their last 162 games

It’s still a long shot, and they need Atlanta and the Nats (or LA and either Cincy or Pittsburgh) to not make a strong run, but it’s possible.

I don’t mean during the offseason, I mean on May 15th, when the Marlins released him. At that point Durbin was pitching horribly and our bullpen was already having major issues. Aardsma was pitching for the Marlins AAA affiliate in New Orleans and posting a 2.57 ERA. When the Mets scooped him up I was irritated but I thought, “Amaro must know something I don’t.” However, Aardsma has a 2.55 ERA in 17.2 innings pitched so far for the Mutts. Sorry, I’m not an Amaro fan…he’s arrogant and should be held accountable for mistakes like this. When you have the worst bullpen in the league you need to be scouring the earth for help.

@Dave, I don’t think anyone is saying that picking up a reliever who helps you win is “too small” a move. What I was objecting to was the statement that there was “absolutely no excuse” for not picking up this particular reliever (out of the many out there), who had hip issues, was coming off TJ surgery, pitched only 1 inning in the majors in 2010-2011, and then was released by the Marlins while in AAA. George’s comparison to blaming a guy for not buying the winning lottery ticket was spot on.

There are alot of risks that amaro doesn’t take, but there’s also some that he does, recently they haven’t panned out the way he would have liked…

The only real complaint that I have is why we didn’t sign Cespedes,puig,soler when they were available… Ruben said a week or so ago he felt they were too risky, but they seem to be pretty decent signings to me

I think if you trade Ruiz, you are essentially saying you are throwing in the towel for this year. Kratz is nowhere near the defensive catcher that Ruiz is. He doesn’t call as good a game as Ruiz either, so I expect the pitching to suffer. M. Young on the other hand is probably replaceable without losing too much. Tha’ts just how I see it.

Young at leadoff is a dubious idea. Even though he does get on base, he has no speed. He’s only an option because his OBP isn’t as bad as others on the team. But he’s certainly not a particularly good one.

he gets on base and that’s what matters he’s not as fast as revere or Rollins but he’s also not delmon young… he doesn’t necessarily clog the bases… I don’t mind him leadoff but I think he’s better as a 2-6 hitter..

George – I’m not against trading M Young….as long as they get something decent in return. What I’m saying is that with Revere out they may want to re-think that if they’re still reasonably in contention. Having a guy that puts the ball in play and gets on base is HUGE….whether he’s hitting 1st or 8th.

I’m not advocating that Young be traded. I’m just saying that should a good proposal come along, the team shouldn’t have any reservations about losing him as a leadoff option. I think he’s got value, but not so much that he can’t be replaced, provided the return is decent. I think what Dave says applies.

Brian Wilson will be available in August. I know he had two Tommy John surgeries, but he is a proven reliever, should come cheap, and would be worth a look. If he checks out, we wouldn’t have to give up anyone to get him; thus, not destroying any synergy the team is developing. Just my two cents. Probably what my suggestion is worth. Lol.

I’d bet that Philadelphia scouts are eying everybody from minor league castoffs to DL occupants to little league fields. The bullpen is so bad right now, I wouldn’t be surprised if they were searching cemetaries for signs of life.

People seem to have no faith at all in scouting efforts, but sometimes there’s very little to scout, and when there is, the competition from other teams can be insurmountable. Jurrjens hasn’t been very good this season even in the minors, and Wilson and Contreras haven’t pitched in something close to forever. I’m sure the Phils will look, but it doesn’t mean they’ll buy, and if they want to buy, they may be outbid.

Can anyone explain to me why it is assumed M. Young is viewed as gone after this year? Everything I’ve read for months depicts trading him as a no-brainer – IMO frandsen is great but this season doesn’t seem as productive unless he’s coming off the bench- so who would you suggest working the hot corner? Bringing back polanco?

It’s not like the AFC winning the Super Bowl keeps Wall Street down forever and a day, but it always sets the Nation back a few decades when the charade of a baseball story, the American League scores a win in the AS game. Such was the sad development the other night.

But beneath the tragic headline of that farce was the big story of how it seems to have reduced the Phils WS chances down to somewhere ‘tween crippled and paralyzed. Shame on Jim Leyland for trying to correct last year’s brooming at the all important Phils expense.

The proof, as more than always of this tragic development, as always, is in the all important baseball odds. After all, the game is played on the field of sports books at a casino near you.

Case in point. Ain’t no thang that the Phils are now listed as the 10th, count ’em 10th most likely entry to win the NL flag. 10th, I tell ya. The nee Brooklyn club wins a few games, and they pass 3 states in the odds game. The Phils do similarly, and the subject becomes regression.

They need to pass 2 teams win the division, slightly more to win a wild card berth. But now, alas, they gotta pass 9 other clubs to defy the odds. At least SOMEBODY realizes the playoffs aren’t the crapshoot reputed to be. Hell, even the 10-9-8-7-9 and 73 Sixera were probably looking at fewer franchises uptown on the odds list even at the 4-46 mark. Where have you gone Braves of Buffalo, our nation can’t turn it’s lonely eyes to you since don’t nobody remember Heard…….of Buffalo.

This small obstacle, at a price of 25/1 shouldn’t be a problem to overcome. But what that AL win did, forcing road field disadvantage. It probably has Dick Enberg replacing ‘My, oh my” mode with “my oh, my, oh my, OH MY!.” The disrespected Philly franchise is now the 17th most likely team to cop WS honors at a casino near yous.. That road field disadvantage is just a killer. Stalwarts like the Freaking Angels, who could throw Joe Blanton in a Fall Classic Game 7 might make sense as more likely to you as a better fave, but not me. Aw, what the hell. What’s 50-1 when you’re having fun. It beats Houston’s 9,999-1 price.

Amaro has said he is looking for replacement in CF and to add bullpen depth. So I’ll say he is a “buyer” for these last 2 weeks. Has anyone mention Mets’ Bobby Parnell? I heard on a New York radio station that Parnell may be available for the right price. He is cheap ($500 million plus salary) and having a solid season as closer for his team. I think the Mets are looking for young talent including prospects for their farm system. I wonder what the Phillies can offer as “buyers”?

Most of what you hear and read out of New York is that anyone’s available for the right price…and why wouldn’t they be? However, the right price for a 28 year old closer, who is under team control for 5 more years and who pitches for a rebuilding team, is most likely more than the Phillies can pay. I would be stunned if the Mets trade Parnell.

I’m a Red Sox fan as well as a Phillies fan. (I know, I know say what you want)

Watching the season unfold, I know for a fact, the Sox will not part with Tazawa this season. After struggles with two different pitchers that were suppose to be their closers, Tazawa has stepped up and filled the closer role. He was only suppose to be a middle reliever, but due to injuries and lack of dependability from his two predecessors, Tazawa has been able to come in an slam the door shut for the Sox.

The article also suggests that the Phillies would part with Michael Young to get Tazawa. I don’t think the Sox would see that as a valuable trade. Yes, the Sox have a need at third, but a star that has shown offensive and defensive decline for their new very dependable closer? Forget it.

Plus, reports from AAA are that the Sox original 3B, Will Middlebrooks, is hitting the ball much better and maybe returning to Boston soon. Boston is more likely to fill other needs before taking Young for Tazawa.